About Us
At N5 Sensors, our mission is to provide access to easy detection of toxic gases so that people know what’s in their environment

Our Story
N5 was founded in 2012 as a spin-off from University of Maryland, College Park. We are passionate about developing sensor technologies and products that will make your life better and safer. By bringing together technological innovation and reliable engineering, we are changing how sensing is done. In this new era of wearables, smart-homes, and connected cities, our products will open up new possibilities, giving people the ability to learn about their environment and understand its impact on their health and well-being.

Patents
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US Patent 9,983,183
Highly selective nanostructure sensors and methods of detecting target analytes -
US Patent 9,476,862
Highly selective nanostructure sensors and methods of detecting target analytes
Partners & Collaborators




NASA
Department of Homeland Security
Maryland TEDCO
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Management & Operations

I am a scientist turned entrepreneur with nearly 15 years of experience in the field of semi-conductors. Professionally, I get most excited about brining cutting-edge ideas to life through technological development and execution of effective strategies.
As CEO of N5, I spend time formulating business strategies alongside our CFO, ensuring exceptional product quality for our customers, and continuing to build our growing partnership/sales pipeline. One of my favorite roles as CEO is to work alongside our N5 team to make sure they have everything they need to execute on our vision - a safer world through mass adoption of our environmental sensors.
Abhishek
Motayed, PhD
Chief Executive
Officer

I lead the research efforts in developing the sensor technology and am responsible for innovative design and fabrication of Gallium Nitride semiconductor-based resistive sensors for various industrial and commercial applications. I have over 15 years of professional experience in semiconductor technology and prior to joining N5 in 2013, I worked as a NIST-ARRA Senior Fellow at NIST, Gaithersburg. I have extensively worked on photovoltaic device technology and nanomaterials.
I earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronic and Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India and a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering from Technical University, Aachen, Germany. I have published over 50 research papers in various peer-reviewed journals, co-authored 3 book chapters, and hold 2 US patents.
I earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronic and Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India and a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering from Technical University, Aachen, Germany. I have published over 50 research papers in various peer-reviewed journals, co-authored 3 book chapters, and hold 2 US patents.
Ratan
Debnath, PhD
Director of Research & Development

I manage N5’s Testing and Product Development and lead the design of gas sensors and integrated systems for our customers. This includes gathering customer requirements, product definition, test apparatus design and analysis. Areas of expertise include sensor characterization, system design, automation, data analytics, and project management. I enjoy running and rock climbing.
Brian
Thomson
Director of
Product Engineering

Hi! I’m a Finance and Human Resource Specialist at N5 Sensors, focusing on developing efficient processes using knowledge of recruiting, employee relations, training and development. My day-to-day includes employee relations, reporting, payroll, benefits, & involvement in all daily financial activities for current and upcoming projects. I love to painting and am a yoga enthusiast.
Keerthana Senthilkumaran
HR & Finance
Specialist

I have more than a decade of financial management experience and is an accomplished executive with extensive financial, strategic and operational experience ranging from global public corporations to private start-ups across multiple industries such as life science, government contracting not-for-profit, and service industries.
Prior to working with N5, I was the Chief Financial Officer at RoosterBio where he oversaw all aspects of finance and accounting and led the ~$20 million Series B financing round. Additionally, I spent spent several years at Senseonics as the Treasurer and head of Strategy and Financial Planning and, prior to that, the Corporate Controller where I helped raise approximately $400 million in equity and debt capital, including the company's IPO. He oversaw all the treasury-related functions (including financings and cash management), was responsible for forecasting, modeling, budget optimization, and supported investor relations activities.
I hold a Master of Business Administration from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the Perdue School of Business at Salisbury University.
Rick
Sullivan
Chief Financial
Officer
Technical & Engineering

I am a semiconductor process engineer at N5 Sensor, currently conducting industrial research on the fabrication of cutting-edge photocatalytic semiconductor gas sensors. Specifically, my focus is on the development of nano-structured photocatalytic materials for detecting gases and analytes of interest. I have a broad background in the fabrication and characterization of semiconductor devices and materials. I love swimming and reading books.
Hyeong Jin Yun, PhD
Semiconductor Process Engineer

I’m a Surface Scientist at N5 Sensors. My role is to develop the new catalysts that will achieve the desired properties of our gas sensors, to identify the catalyst performance issues and come up with strategies to improve the sensor performance. I am also providing the material characterization support to N5’s R&D team for the fabrication process. In my spare time, I like to hike, bake, and play with my son.
Jie Yu, PhD
Surface
Scientist

Hello! My name is Ibrahim Diagne, and I am a Reliability engineer and data scientist at N5 Sensors Inc. I utilize advanced concepts in statistics and machine learning to develop smart algorithms for our hybrid smart novel gas sensors geared toward gas sensing tasks for industrial, commercial and military applications including indoor air quality monitoring systems, toxic chemical, chemical warfare detection among others. Our hybrid novel gas sensors equipped with advanced signal processing schemes offer accurate detection and quantification of gas chemicals for complex sensing tasks. I am an avid reader and enjoy traveling during my spare time.
Ibrahima Diagne, PhD
Reliability
Engineer

Hi, I'm a process engineer at N5 Sensors working on developing, maintaining, and implementing chemical sensor fabrication protocols. I also work closely with the test team to identify device design issues, failure issues, and suggest changes in the sensors design and fabrication process. I love gastronomy and have a strong interest in computer hardware.
Thach Ngoc Pham, PhD
Semiconductor Process Engineer

Hi, I'm a Sensor R&D and Data Engineer at N5 Sensors working on the research and development of chemical sensor devices. Additionally, I analyze data on new sensors as needed for internal and external customers. I work closely with both the fabrication and test teams to investigate device design and performance issues, conduct failure analysis, and develop technical documentation. I enjoy playing outdoor games and traveling during my leisure time.
Ashfaque Khan, PhD
Sensor R&D & Data Engineer

Hi! I’m a Hardware and Firmware engineer at N5 Sensors, aiming to develop the best analog front end, systems, and algorithms to make the most reliable sensors on the market. I have experience and knowledge in IoT, Wireless communication, embedded systems and PCB design. During my free time, I love working on cars and motorcycles.